In today's episode I am joined by Laura, mother of Forrest who is 3.5 and Tanner who is 1. I just want to add a *TRIGGER WARNING* before i introduce her, as Laura shares a traumatic birth story during this episode around 21 minutes in.

Laura shares her radically different births and postpartums first and second time around. Her first birth during covid was very traumatic and left her incredibly crushed, depleted and stressed which negatively affected her start to breastfeeding and left her too low to implement any boundaries to protect herself and her space. After a trip to hospital a week later, it gave her the kick she needed to priortise herself and her breastfeeding journey which she did by staying in bed all of the second week with her baby and it was the best week ever, allowing her to bond and breastfeed her baby.

Second time around she had a much calmer pregnancy and despite planning for a VBAC, after induction pressure she opted for a elective ceasaren which was an incredibly calm, slow, respectful and honoured birth which in Laura's words "felt like a spa day" and this mirrored her postpartum with Tanner which felt easeful from the very first breastfeed. Laura was very strict with her boundaries second time around, not leaving her bed or having any guests for a week. She also used The Food Doula to ensure she and her family were really well nourished and all of this a year on, has resulted in a very content and calm baby.

Laura and I discuss sleep, her feelings around sleep training, how much kinder to herself and more intuitive and less influenced she has been second time around. We talk about attachment led parenting, the lack of support past the newborn phase and how everyone just assumes you have everyhitng together, we talk about breastfeeding and how it is the proudest things Laura has ever done. We chat about the dangers of mothers covering up how hard they find things and how that really alienates other mums and finally we cover the concept of finding your pink a lot in this episode and the importance of finding your pink within motherhood, in a world that includes them rather than searching for your pink outside of it.

Laura shares so much juicy insight and wisdom on mothering and i cant wait to hear what she has to say. To find out more about Laura please follow her journey on instagram @laurawildlove